CINCINNATI — Hope for an end to Israel's offensive in Gaza spiked when Hamas, the militant group long controlling the Gaza Strip, announced Friday that it agreed in principle to a peace plan laid out by the Trump administration.
The move could be a historic shift in a decades-long history of tension or open conflict in the region, so we wanted to see how people felt about the potential end to years of war.
Ohio Council on American Islamic Relations Executive Director Khalid Turaani said the two-year bombardment of Palestinian communities has been personal.
"I've had many friends who have lost parents, who have lost siblings, who've lost children," Turaani said.
The Gaza Health Ministry said over the weekend that the Palestinian death toll passed 66,000 since Hamas's surprise attack in October 2023 that resulted in more than 1,200 Israeli deaths and the capture of more than 240 hostages.
We asked Turaani if he thought the peace plan would finally lead to a cessation of aggression in the region.
"Well, I hope and I pray that it will actually work. I think there are a lot of details yet to be worked out," Turaani said.
In Turaani's eyes, the details included the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza territory.
We also reached out to the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and spoke briefly with CEO Danielle Minson about what it may be like to see an end to the war and a release of all remaining hostages.
"I believe that our Jewish community will be excited and happy, but we're all so sad and feel the weight of what the past several years have taken, the toll it's taken," Minson said.
She believed that on the day after Yom Kippur and in the midst of the Jewish new year, the Jewish community would want to look forward with hope.
"I have to believe because I'm optimistic, and I'm hopeful. I have to believe this is going to work," Minson said.
At Shalom Temple in Blue Ash, Rabbi Ari Jun said any optimism would need to come with a healthy dose of caution.
"We have seen plans like this come and go over and over throughout history, let alone over the last two years," Jun said.
